In your fuzzy Friday media column: Fuzzy futures for newspapers, fuzzy-headed football fans delight, fuzzy math from the NYT Co., and other fuzz-related items:
Cartier celebrated its 100th anniversary in New York last night with a big bash inside its Fifth Avenue store. The celeb-heavy crowd included Elton John, Kate Hudson, Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake, Anne Hathaway, Rachel Weisz, Demi Moore, Eva Mendez, Ashley Olsen, Zac Posen, Martha Stewart, Graydon Carter, Jeff Zucker, Robbie Myers, Patti Smith, Russell Simmons and Julie Henderson, Tory Burch, Thakoon Panichgul, Erin Fetherston, Nanette Lepore, Phillip Lim, Coco Rocha, Hilary Rhoda, Daniel Boulud, Eli Weisel, Bruce Weber, Henrik Lundqvist, Ingrid Sischy, Beth Rudin DeWoody, Cornelia Guest, Susan Fales-Hill, Marjorie Gubelmann, Thora Birch, Chiara Clemente, Alexis Bryan, Dylan Lauren, Kelly Klein, and Cartier chief Frederic De Narp. [PMc, Wireimage, WWD]
Dealbreaker reports that Andy Madoff was out and about recently when he bumped into a former employee of his dad's firm. The encounter was not a friendly one—presumably having "Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC" on your resume in this job market is not all that much fun—and lots of shoving and punching ensued, according to witnesses. Hopefully the next time something like this happens—such as, say, when Alexandra Penney runs into Ruth Madoff while they're both shopping at Neiman Marcus—someone has a camera handy. [Dealbreaker]
Did you know that CNBC is not a financial network? It is in reality a wacky summer coming-of-age movie. It's anchors are characters, and you, the viewer, are a mixed-up 14-year-old. Let's watch some clips:
The Way We Live Now: Miserly. Every penny's important. Any scam's a good scam. Jump the turnstiles! Carry a plastic bag wherever you go, collecting scraps! We're on our own now.
If you recently lost your job in advertising—or you're still employed but have lots of free time on your hands—you can still make sure that you're putting your creative talents to good use. Ad copywrighter Todd Norem recently helped a homeless man in Minneapolis come up with new signs to use when he hits the streets to pandhandle. The result? His "client," Ed, reported "at least a 800 percent increase in gross income on days his media ran." Now we'll just have to hope copywrighters in NYC rise to the occasion and do their part, too. A couple of other clever signs Norem created for Ed after the jump.
Andrew Cuomo revealed this morning that his office has issued more than 100 subpoenas as he ramps up the investigation into possible kickbacks paid to political figures to obtain pension fund business. Unfortunately, he's still playing coy when it comes to giving up any specifics. He refused to list any of the firms that received subpoenas today. Yesterday, when a reporter asked him if car czar Steve Rattner would eventually be charged for his role in the unfolding scandal—five other people have been indicted thus far—he said to "stay tuned." In other words, put a new bag of popcorn in the microwave and get comfy. He's going to be here for awhile. [NYT, AP]
• Esquire, The New Yorker, Backpacker, and Wired were all big winners at last night's National Magazine Awards, although the mood was much more subdued this year, not surprisingly. [ NYT, WWD, NYP]
• Portfolio's Joanne Lipman reflects on what went wrong. [Newsweek]
• Hollywood might be on track for its best year ever at the box office. [WSJ]
• A roundup of the winners at the Tribeca Film Festival. [NYT, THR]
• White House Social Secretary Desirée Rogers appears on the cover of the new issue of WSJ. The idea of having her pose in an Oscar de la Renta gown in the First Lady's garden was vetoed by the powers-that-be, wisely. [WWD]
